Rack frame

ABSTRACT

A rack frame having a horizontal base and two spaced uprights for holding bars, rods, slabs or the like, the frame being made to interfit with the other of superimposed similar rack frames arranged in tiers for resisting longitudinal and lateral movement of one rack frame relative to the rack frame interfitted therewith.

United States Patent Inventor William F. Schmidt Cleveland, Ohio Appl. No, 771,951 Filed Oct. 30, 1968 Patented June 1, 1971 Assignee Pucel Enterprises, Inc.

Cleveland, Ohio RACK FRAME 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 211/177, 108/53, 21 H49, 21 1/60 Int. Cl A47f 5/10, A47f7/00, B65d 19/38 Field of Search 211/177,

60, 60s, 85;248/150, 176, 49, 89, 90, 1 19; 99/449; 108/9l,53;21l/l48 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,916,153 12/1959 Saul, 211/49 1,742,738 1/1930 Turner 108/53 2,046,095 6/1936 Shaw 108/53X 3,924,340 2/1960 Barto 108/53 FOREIGN PATENTS 896,733 5/1962 Great Britain 211/177 Primary Examiner-Ramon S. Britts Att0rneyW00dling, Krost, Granger and Rust ABSTRACT: A rack frame having a horizontal base and two spaced uprights for holding bars, rods, slabs or the like, the frame being made to interfit with the other of superimposed similar rack frames arranged in tiers for resisting longitudinal and lateral movement of one rack frame relative to the rack frame interfitted therewith.

MA I45 I ,45 I I 7/5 PATENIEUJUN new 3581; 907

INVENTOR. WILL/AM E SCHMIDT Fig. 4 7 2),

ATTORNEYS.

RACK FRAME My invention relates to rack frames of the general type used for piling in superimposed tiers bars, slabs or boards, and rods or tubes. Such material is usually piled in a convenient location for storage and for ready access or withdrawal of the material. I

An object of my invention is to provide an improved rack frame easily and readily handled, sturdy and strong in use, and readily adaptable for interfltting with other similar rack frames superimposed in a tier arrangement. Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved rack frame in a preferred form of the same;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the rack frame looking in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plane view of my rack frame and looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view ofa number of my rack frames, all similar in structure, superimposed in a tier arrangement and holding bars, slabs and rods as illustrated.

My rack frame, denoted generally by character reference 11, has a horizontally disposed base member preferably made of metal. This base member has a horizontal flat web portion 12A and two downwardly extending flange portions 128 along the opposite longitudinal edges of the web portion. The two flange portions 123 each have inturned flange portions 12C along the bottom edges thereof and directed toward each other as better seen in FIG. 2.

The two inturned flange portions 12C do not extend as much toward the ends of the base member as do the web portion 12A and the side flange portions 123. The opposite ends 12D of the inturned flange portions 12C form stop or abutment portions of the base member. It is to be noted that the two stop or abutment portions 12D are spaced-apart less than the overall length of the base member and each stop or abutment end surface 12D is spaced inboard from its respective end of the web portion 12A and flange portions 128. There is thus a pocket formed at each end of the base member, which pocket is disposed outboard of the stop or abutment surface 12D and intermediate the side flanges 128 under the web portion 12A.

There may be added if desired end pieces 13 welded to the bottom of the web portion 12A and spaced, as seen in FIG. 2, from the side flanges 128. These pieces 13 are positioned at the outer extreme ends of the web portion 12A and well outboard of the location of abutting end surfaces 12D. Planes normal to the base member extending through each of the abutting end surfaces 12D are spaced considerably from parallel planes normal to the base member and passing through the closet side of the most adjacent pieces 13. In the normal use and function of the rack frame the pieces 13 do not perform any function but may be added if preferred as a safety feature to the structure shown.

Rigidly secured, as by welding, to the metal base member are two uprights also of metal. Preferably, the metal of both the base member and the uprights are of a suitable steel or a steel alloy of required strength. Each upright has a web portion 14A disposed to face inwardly toward the corresponding web portion 14A of the other upright. The included space above the base member and between the web portions 14A of the uprights accommodates a load thereon, such as bars and rods. Extending along the opposite edges of the web portion 14A and directed toward the ends of the rack frame, that is away from the open space between the uprights, there are flange portions 143. As the outermost edges of the portions 143 are disposed normal to the base member, and as the web portion 14A are inclined so as to diverge away from each other, it will be seen that the flange portions 143 are go general triangular form as seen in FIG. I. The upper ends of the uprights are cut off at a right angle to the planes of the web portions 14A and hence at an obtuse angle to the rear or outward edge of the flange portion 148. Thus the triangular form of the flange portions 148 are somewhat truncated as illustrated. The structure and arrangement of the uprights on the base member is such as to give strength, rigidity and a good bracing action to the uprights.

Extending between the flange portions 148 of each upright is a bar 15 which provides areadily graspable handle for lifting and maneuvering the rack frame. The bars 15 are disposed at a location intermediate the upper ends 14C and the base member in such a position that upon one grasping one of the handles 15 and raising the rack frame it will hang or be suspended in such a manner that the base member is substantially vertical. This provides for ready lifting and maneuvering of the rack frame.

The improved rack frame is such that the upper end portions of a similar rack frame below will fit into the pockets at the ends of the similar rack frame above. It is to be noted that the web portions 14A of the rack frame below engage, or are positioned immediately adjacent, the stop or abutting end surfaces lZD, respectively, of the rack frame above. This interfitting between the upper ends of the web portions 14A of the frame below and the abutting end surfaces 12D of the frame above is such as to prevent longitudinal movement of one frame member relative to the other frame member. By longitudinal movement I am referring to movement from right to left or from left to right as seen in FIG. 1 which is longitudinally of the base member. It is also seen that the upper end portions of the uprights of the frame below, and particularly the flange portions 128 thereof, fit closely between the side flanges MB of the frame below disposed outboard of the abutting end surfaces 12D. Thus, lateral movement of one frame member relative to the other frame member is prevented by the side flanges 12A confining the upper end portions of the frame below.

It is to be noted that the upper end portions of the uprights of the frame below do not normally engaged or contact the supplementary end pieces 13. Only if and when the uprights under excessive strain and load would be distorted and would thus be spread apart would the upper end portions of the frame below engage the pieces 13 of the frame above. The end pieces 13 thus provide only safety factors, if desired, to confine the upper end portions of the uprights of the frame below within the pockets of the frame above should the uprights of the frame below be abnormally forced apart. In the normal and proper use of my rack frames this does not occur and the end pieces 13 become nonfunctional and would be eliminated.

An illustration of the way in which my improved rack frames may be utilized is seen in FIG. 4 wherein there are six similar rack frames in a tier arrangement. Three are superimposed upon each other atone location and three other similar frames are superimposed upon each other at another location. The open spaces between the uprights are in alignment and thus ready for accommodation of loads thereon. In the illustrated arrangement there are a plurality of metal bars 16 disposed in the upper tier, a plurality of slabs or boards 17 in the intermediate tier, and a plurality of rods or tubes 18 in the lowermost tier. The tier may be readily built up or disassembled in the manner described. Any number of tiers may be constructed as desired.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

lclaim:

1. A storage rack frame of a plurality of similar frames adapted for stacking upon one of said similar frames, comprising a metal base member having a flat top web and downturned side flanges depending therefrom, said side flanges having inturned flanges extending toward each other below, and at a distance from, said top web, said inturned flanges having oppositely facing end surfaces, said side flanges and said top web extending at the ends of said frame beyond the said end surfaces, respectively, to form an end pocket at each end beyond said end surfaces, a pair of spaced metal uprights of substantially equal height having their lower ends rigidly secured to said base member a generally U-shaped space for accommodating articles positioned on the base member, each of said pair of uprights being a channel having its web portion facing the web portion of the other of said pair of uprights, said web portions of each pair of uprights being inclined away from each other as they extend from said base member, the side flanges of each channel having innermost edges coinciding with said inclined web portion and disposed at an acute angle to the outermost edges of the respective side flanges, the said acute angle being spaced upwardly away from said base member, the said outermost edges of the respective side flanges being disposed at right angles to said base member adjacent the outer ends of the said base member, each upright having an upper end portion adapted to fit into a said end pocket, respectively, ofa similar rack frame positioned above, said upper end portions each being embraced by the side flanges along, and engaging said top wall above, said end pockets, respectively, of said similar rack frame in which the upper end portions are fitted, the width of said upper end portions being substantially the same as the space between said side flanges so as to closely limit relative lateral movement between said rack and said above positioned rack, said similar rack frame positioned above being restrained against lateral movement relative to the uprights of the rack frame below by said side flanges, and against longitudinal movement relative to the uprights of the rack frame below by said end surfaces of the inturned flanges, forming the end pockets of the similar rack frame positioned above, said upper end portions of the respective uprights being free and unconnected in the common horizontal plane extending through said upper end portions to permit the said upper end portions to enter directly in the respective end pockets of said above positioned rack frame upon vertical movement of said above positioned rack frame downwardly upon, and in the same vertical plane of, the said rack frame below.

2. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights are of general form having web portions diverging as they extend away from said base member and having side flanges extending from said web portions, respectively, to parallel planes normal to the base member and coinciding generally with the ends of the frame, the said web portion and said flanges of the uprights being welding to said base member.

3. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights are channels having web portions facing each other to define an open space therebetween above said base member, each of said uprights having spaced side flanges directed away from said defined open space towards the ends, respectively, of the frame, and a bar secured to and extending between the side flanges of each upright at a location intermediate the base member and the said upper end portion of the upright to brace the said side flanges and to provide handles for the lifting of the frame.

4. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 2, and including a handle extending between the side flanges of each upright at a location above the base member and below the upper end portion of the upright.

5. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights have opposed web portions inclined away from each other as they extend upwardly from the base member and spaced flange portions extending from the edges of the web portions toward the ends of the frame, the flange portions extending to parallel planes normal to the base member to have progressively lesser width as they extend upwardly from the base member, the web portions and flange portions of the uprights being welded to said base member, and a metal rod secured to and extending between opposite flange portions of each upright at a location above the ase member to provide a handle for the ready lifting of the frame.

6. A storage rack frame of a plurality of similar frames adapted to interfit with one of said vertically aligned similar frames so as to resist lateral and longitudinal movement between superimposed similar frames, said frame having a base member adapted to be horizontally disposed and adapted to support a load thereon, said base member having atop web portion, said base member having longitudinally extending spaced flange portions along the sides thereof and directed downwardly from said web portion, at least one of said flange portions having a stop portion spaced from each of the opposite ends of said web portion and directed toward the opposite flange portion to form a pocket between the opposite flange portions at each end of the base member between each said stop portion and the respective end of the web portion, a pair of uprights rigidly secured to said base member adjacent its opposite ends and directed upwardly therefrom and adapted to limit movement of a load on the support member beyond said uprights, each of said pair of uprights being a channel having its web portion facing the web portion of the other of said pair of uprights, said web portions of each pair of uprights being inclined away from each other as they extend from said base member, the side flanges of each channel having innermost edges coinciding with said inclined web portion and disposed at an acute angle to the outermost edges of the respective side flanges, the said acute angle being spaced upwardly away from said base member, the said outermost edges of the respective side flanges being disposed at right angles to said base member adjacent the outer ends of the said base member, each of said uprights having an upper end portion terminating in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the plane of said web portion, said end portions being dimensioned to enter the said pockets in a similar frame juxtapositioned thereabove between the flange portions of the base member and outboard of said stop portions, respectively, whereby lateral movement of the said above positioned similar frame relative to the frame below is limited by the flange portions of the said above positioned similar frame embracing the said end portions and longitudinal movement of the said above positioned similar frame relative to the frame below is limited by the said stop portions of the said above positioned similar frame embraced by said end portions, the said upper end portions having a width substantially the same as the space between the opposite flanges of the pockets in which the upper end portions of the frame are adapted to closely limit relative movement therebetween, said upper end portions being free and unobstructed therebetween to permit direct entry of the free upper end portions into the respective pockets of said similar above juxtapositioned frame upon downward movement of the similar above juxtapositioned frame without tilting of the similar above juxtapositioned frame from said frame below.

7. A rack frame as claimed in claim 6 and in which said stop portions are provided by inturned portions of each of the respective flange portions each directed toward the opposite flange portions, the opposite ends of the inturned portions spaced from the respective ends of the top web portion to stop movement of the upper end portion ofa similar frame below and outboard of said stop portion toward the opposite end of the base member.

8. A rack frame as claimed in claim 7 and in which each upright is of a general channel shape having a web portion adapted to abut the stop portion of a similar above positioned frame and flange portions adapted to abut the flange portions of the base member of the said similar above positioned frame.

9. A rack frame as claimed in claim 8 and including a handle carried by each upright between the flange portions thereof at a location intermediate the base member and upper end portions, respectively. 

1. A storage rack frame of a plurality of similar frames adapted for stacking upon one of said similar frames, comprising a metal base member having a flat top web and downturned side flanges depending therefrom, said side flanges having inturned flanges extending toward each other below, and at a distance from, said top web, said inturned flanges having oppositely facing end surfaces, said side flanges and said top web extending at the ends of said frame beyond the said end surfaces, respectively, to form an end pocket at each end beyond said end surfaces, a pair of spaced metal uprights of substantially equal height having their lower ends rigidly secured to said base member a generally U-shaped space for accommodating articles positioned on the base member, each of said pair of uprights being a channel having its web portion facing the web portion of the other of said pair of uprights, said web portions of each pair of uprights being inclined away from each other as they extend from said base member, the side flanges of each channel having innermost edges coinciding with said inclined web portion and disposed at an acute angle to the outermost edges of the respective side flanges, the said acute angle being spaced upwardly away from said base member, the said outermost edges of the respective side flanges being disposed at right angles to said base member adjacent the outer ends of the said base member, each upright having an upper end portion adapted to fit into a said end pocket, respectively, of a similar rack frame positioned above, said upper end portions each being embraced by the side flanges along, and engaging said top wall above, said end pockets, respectively, of said similar rack frame in which the upper end portions are fitted, the width of said upper end portions being substantially the same as the space between said side flanges so as to closely limit relative lateral movement between said rack and said above positioned rack, said similar rack frame positioned above being restrained against lateral movement relative to the uprights of the rack frame below by said side flanges, and against longitudinal movement relative to the uprights of the rack frame below by said end surfaces of the inturned flanges, forming the end pockets of the similar rack frame positioned above, said upper end portions of the respective uprights being free and unconnected in the common horizontal plane extending through said upper end portions to permit the said upper end portions to enter directly in the respective end pockets of said above positioned rack frame upon vertical movement of said above positioned rack frame downwardly upon, and in the same vertical plane of, the said rack frame below.
 2. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights are of general form having web portions diverging as they extend away from said base member and having side flanges extending from said web portions, respectively, to parallel pLanes normal to the base member and coinciding generally with the ends of the frame, the said web portion and said flanges of the uprights being welding to said base member.
 3. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights are channels having web portions facing each other to define an open space therebetween above said base member, each of said uprights having spaced side flanges directed away from said defined open space towards the ends, respectively, of the frame, and a bar secured to and extending between the side flanges of each upright at a location intermediate the base member and the said upper end portion of the upright to brace the said side flanges and to provide handles for the lifting of the frame.
 4. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 2, and including a handle extending between the side flanges of each upright at a location above the base member and below the upper end portion of the upright.
 5. A storage rack frame as claimed in claim 1 and in which said uprights have opposed web portions inclined away from each other as they extend upwardly from the base member and spaced flange portions extending from the edges of the web portions toward the ends of the frame, the flange portions extending to parallel planes normal to the base member to have progressively lesser width as they extend upwardly from the base member, the web portions and flange portions of the uprights being welded to said base member, and a metal rod secured to and extending between opposite flange portions of each upright at a location above the base member to provide a handle for the ready lifting of the frame.
 6. A storage rack frame of a plurality of similar frames adapted to interfit with one of said vertically aligned similar frames so as to resist lateral and longitudinal movement between superimposed similar frames, said frame having a base member adapted to be horizontally disposed and adapted to support a load thereon, said base member having a top web portion, said base member having longitudinally extending spaced flange portions along the sides thereof and directed downwardly from said web portion, at least one of said flange portions having a stop portion spaced from each of the opposite ends of said web portion and directed toward the opposite flange portion to form a pocket between the opposite flange portions at each end of the base member between each said stop portion and the respective end of the web portion, a pair of uprights rigidly secured to said base member adjacent its opposite ends and directed upwardly therefrom and adapted to limit movement of a load on the support member beyond said uprights, each of said pair of uprights being a channel having its web portion facing the web portion of the other of said pair of uprights, said web portions of each pair of uprights being inclined away from each other as they extend from said base member, the side flanges of each channel having innermost edges coinciding with said inclined web portion and disposed at an acute angle to the outermost edges of the respective side flanges, the said acute angle being spaced upwardly away from said base member, the said outermost edges of the respective side flanges being disposed at right angles to said base member adjacent the outer ends of the said base member, each of said uprights having an upper end portion terminating in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the plane of said web portion, said end portions being dimensioned to enter the said pockets in a similar frame juxtapositioned thereabove between the flange portions of the base member and outboard of said stop portions, respectively, whereby lateral movement of the said above positioned similar frame relative to the frame below is limited by the flange portions of the said above positioned similar frame embracing the said end portions and longitudinal movement of the said above positioned similar frame relative to the frame below is limited by the said stop portions of the said above positioned similar frame embraced by said end portions, the said upper end portions having a width substantially the same as the space between the opposite flanges of the pockets in which the upper end portions of the frame are adapted to closely limit relative movement therebetween, said upper end portions being free and unobstructed therebetween to permit direct entry of the free upper end portions into the respective pockets of said similar above juxtapositioned frame upon downward movement of the similar above juxtapositioned frame without tilting of the similar above juxtapositioned frame from said frame below.
 7. A rack frame as claimed in claim 6 and in which said stop portions are provided by inturned portions of each of the respective flange portions each directed toward the opposite flange portions, the opposite ends of the inturned portions spaced from the respective ends of the top web portion to stop movement of the upper end portion of a similar frame below and outboard of said stop portion toward the opposite end of the base member.
 8. A rack frame as claimed in claim 7 and in which each upright is of a general channel shape having a web portion adapted to abut the stop portion of a similar above positioned frame and flange portions adapted to abut the flange portions of the base member of the said similar above positioned frame.
 9. A rack frame as claimed in claim 8 and including a handle carried by each upright between the flange portions thereof at a location intermediate the base member and upper end portions, respectively. 